


Counting Stars

by DiLithiumDragon



Category: Persona 3
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Mention Of Homophobia, Minato always dies, Shinji always dies, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-26
Updated: 2018-04-26
Packaged: 2019-04-28 06:33:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,094
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14443440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DiLithiumDragon/pseuds/DiLithiumDragon
Summary: Minato's been losing sleep recently and Akihiko's just curious enough to find out why. What results is a Social Link that should've never blossomed between them.





	Counting Stars

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my sister because I thought the song "Counting Stars" (by One Republic) was a good Mina/Aki song, she didn't see it, and then I tried to prove it.
> 
> ([cross posted with tumblr too there's that](http://characteroulette.tumblr.com/post/129095795056/counting-stars))

Lately, the nights seemed to drag while waiting for the Dark Hour. Akihiko paced, boxed with his punching bags, kept himself moving to stave off the stir-craziness. Much to his chagrin, this only made him more stir-crazy and didn't even make the time pass any quicker. Frustrated, Akihiko took his movement to the roof. At least he could get some air to cool his head.

Tonight, their leader was also there on the roof. Minato had been more reluctant to go to Tartarus lately, also got tired more easily while they were battling. It was a little detrimental to their training, but no one was willing to approach Minato about it. Akihiko, on the other hand, wasn't at all afraid to ask their leader about this. Their ability to train was suffering and Akihiko couldn't stand for that.

"Can't really see the stars out here." Minato spoke before Akihiko could even get close. Their leader was very observant despite the lackadaisical attitude. Akihiko stepped up beside Minato, at the railing of the rooftop, and leaned his elbows down on the metal. Minato stood with both hands on the railing, stared up at the sky. "I hate the city because of that."

Akihiko had a purpose, but decided to go along with this line of conversation until the end. When their leader started a conversation, it usually meant he had something important to say. As such, Akihiko settled for egging their leader on. "Hate's a pretty strong word for a laid-back guy like you."

"Too strong a feeling indeed." Minato exhaled into the cold air. His soft, light voice was far more exhausted than Akihiko had last heard. "It's keeping me up at night."

A sudden thought struck Akihiko. "Do you resent coming here and getting involved in all of this?"

Minato laughed shortly, a harsh and humourless sound. "Whether or not I came was predetermined." His tone became less bitter and turned resigned. "We were all doomed from the start."

Akihko wanted to argue that no, they weren't doomed, they were fighting to save the world, but something stopped him from saying any of that. Shinjiro had died too recently and Akihiko's Persona still ached from its recent evolution for them to be discussing such a serious thing as predetermination. Akihiko may have been stronger now, but he was still wrestling with himself over Shinji's death being a thing that happened and wasn't some nightmare that could be chased away by the dawn. Akihiko deflated in the end, stared down into the streets of the city. "Maybe so." He stood up straight and smiled his best at Minato, their leader. "But I think we're doing a good job so far of fighting it. As long as we're alive, we gotta keep trying, right?"

Minato met Akihiko's eyes. A bit unsettling, but Akihiko didn't back down. Minato only had one visible eye, the other being mostly hidden behind his long bangs. Yukari and Junpei swore up and down that there had to be some meaning to it, but it didn't hinder Minato during battle and so Akihiko never thought about it too hard. Minato's eyes were a dark blue, like that of the night sky, and beautiful. After the long pause, Minato smiled. "Maybe you're right."

Before Akihiko could continue their conversation and steer it towards the issue of Tartarus, Minato pushed himself away from the railing and walked to the door of the roof to leave. Akihiko stood there a moment, alone. Their leader had his own things to take care of, Akihiko could understand that.

Akihiko spent a while longer out there, looking up at the sky and trying to find what few stars he could. Then he also left to return to his room, just in time for the Dark Hour.

\--

The next day, Akihiko vowed to talk with Minato about the Tartarus situation. Whether it had to be forcibly brought up or steering the conversation towards that subject, Akihiko was ready this time. Mitsuru wasn't too nonplussed about it, as she was convinced they had made good progress and were sufficiently prepared enough for the moment. She didn't understand. They'd never be strong enough.

At least, Akihiko had to strive to always be stronger. He couldn't protect Shinji, couldn't protect Miki. That was besides the point, Akihiko tried to tell himself.

Their leader was busy most days, off doing things and helping people. At least, that was how Akihiko had heard Junpei describe it once. Yukari had replied with something about how Minato was admirable for doing so much. Akihiko wasn't quite sure about that, but could agree that Minato was admirable for other reasons. More and more recently, however, Minato had stopped going out every night.

When Akihiko went up to the roof this night, he found Minato there again. Perhaps this had been where Minato went instead of going out to sing karaoke or whatever it was Minato tended to do. Minato was leaning against the railing and staring up into the sky again. This time didn't speak before Akihiko joined him. Akihiko meant to start the conversation with this chance, but noticed Minato had headphones on. The music was barely audible and Akihiko couldn't tell what song it was. Minato seemed absorbed in the beat, bobbing his head and tapping along with one of his feet.

Seemed a shame to disturb him. Still, Akihiko was a man on a mission. Akihiko settled for waving a hand within Minato's field of vision, a bit difficult because Akihiko had stood on the same side as Minato's covered eye. Minato jumped, turned to face Akihiko and took off one of his headphones. "Oh, hello again."

"Hey." Akihiko smiled in greeting and a bit apologetic. "Mind if I talk with you about something?"

Minato took off the other headphone and hung them both around his neck, clipped to his jacket. Then he clicked his player off. "Go ahead."

Minato seemed more agreeable, less disinterested than normal. Eager, perhaps? Or maybe he could anticipate exactly what it was Akihiko wanted to talk about. Akihiko dismissed the idea. Minato smiled, though still tired and that was as good a sign as any. Akihiko grinned and launched right into it. "It's about our trips to Tartarus. Or, lack thereof, really."

"Ah, right." Minato glanced off, towards the city this time. "I'm sorry, I've just. I haven't been getting enough sleep recently."

"Oh." Akihiko frowned. He'd done nothing wrong and yet felt chagrined all the same. He tried to laugh and play it off. "What's keeping you up at night? Studying for exams?"

Minato breathed out a word Akihiko didn't catch. Then Minato shook his head and looked down into the streets. "Something like that. I have a lot on my mind."

Akihiko hesitated a moment, struck by the absolute exhaustion evident in Minato's voice. Maybe it would be better to leave their leader to his own thoughts. Maybe it would be better for Akihiko to back off the issue and let things continue as they normally would. Akihiko decided to ignore those instincts and tried to catch Minato's eye. "Hey."

Minato looked up, met Akihiko's eyes again. Akihiko smiled as sincerely as he could.

"If you need to talk to someone, we're all here for you." Akihiko paused a moment. "I'm here for you."

Minato smiled as well, still tired but reassuring. "Thanks. It's nice to know you have my back."

"And hopefully you can get some sleep tonight."

Akihiko clenched his hand into a determined fist. Minato chuckled shortly and nodded. Then he clipped his headphones back onto his ears and clicked his music back on. A clear sign of the end of their conversation. Akihiko, again, sensed that maybe he should leave Minato alone. Their leader had a lot to think about, as Minato had said. For some reason, Akihiko didn't want to listen to this weird instinct. Though they may have been the right thing to do, it would be all wrong to just go along with it. Akihiko was a fighter and wouldn't go down that easy.

As such, Akihiko stood beside Minato on the roof for a while longer. They weren't really in the same place of mind, but standing beside their leader was nice. It didn't seem right, as if Akihiko was doing something wrong by perpetuating this moment. However, Akihiko decided he didn't much care about that because their leader, Minato, needed them. All of them. And if Akihiko had to provide that companionship, he'd do it gladly.

They stood side by side for a good while into the night. Right before the Dark Hour, Minato looked to Akihiko and motioned to the rooftop door with a tilt of his head. Akihiko nodded in return and they walked down the stairs together to their rooms.

Akihiko wanted to ask Minato to spend the night with him, but didn't have enough courage to speak up. Akihiko could tackle any challenge that came his way except this one, it seemed.

They said goodnight to each other and went to their respective rooms for the night. Akihiko had trouble getting to sleep.

\--

Akihiko and Minato met on the rooftop for a week more. Every time they chatted until the conversation petered out and every time Akihiko ignored that nagging in the back of his mind to leave well enough alone. They stood side by side on the roof until it was nearly the Dark Hour, then every time Akihiko would be unable to ask Minato to stay together in the same room for the rest of the night. Akihiko just couldn't get the words out.

During the week, they'd gone to Tartarus three times. Not enough for Akihiko's liking and the lack of progress they made each time had been staggering for the whole team, but Minato seemed to only get more and more tired each time. Minato kept getting knocked down during battle too easily and Akihiko was usually the first one to help Minato back to his feet. The rest of the team helped, too, definitely, but it was more of a problem than anyone had anticipated. Akihiko especially found he was more concerned for Minato's health rather than their lack of training.

Tonight, neither Minato nor Akihiko had said a thing. They simply stood side by side, Akihiko remembering to pick the side that Minato's visible eye was on. Akihiko kept glancing over at Minato, who stared up at the sky with an aggravated expression. There were black bags forming beneath Minato's eyes, really accentuated how little sleep their leader was getting and how tired Minato seemed to be.

"I'm sorry." Minato suddenly spoke, breaking the silence and bringing Akihiko out of his thoughts. Minato let his head hang down, shoulders drooped. "I know it's upsetting that I haven't been in any shape to train for the past week. I'm just. I'm so tired."

Minato pressed his fingers to his forehead and let out a heavy breath. Immediately, without thinking, Akihiko placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "It's all right, hey. You're having an off-week, happens to the best of us."

"That's not." Minato relaxed somewhat, but remained tensed. Akihiko hadn't noticed until he'd placed his hand on Minato's shoulder, but Minato almost all of Minato's muscles seemed to be wound up tight. "I can't get to sleep. I've just been- I've been so-- I just can't--"

Minato made an annoyed noise in the back of his throat, ran his hands through his hair. For a moment, he pushed his bangs back enough for Akihiko to catch a glimpse of both of Minato's eyes. Akihiko frowned, unsure of what he could say to that. How could Akihiko offer any advice or solace when it seemed Minato couldn't explain it himself? Akihiko made another split second decision in the end and pulled Minato into a hug. It was a bit too personal and maybe not within Akihiko's place to do, but it was the first thing that had come to mind that might help. Minato froze for a moment, then slowly relaxed. After a few seconds, Minato wrapped his arms around Akihiko in return.

Something about this was wrong. But Akihiko had never felt more alive than he did in this moment.

"If you can't explain it, that's okay." Akihiko held Minato close, hopefully being some kind of comforting. Minato clung tightly and everything was awkward, but it had to be working because Minato wasn't about to let go. "Things'll. They'll work out in the end. If anything, I'll fight for it."

Minato laughed, a harsh and sudden noise. It quickly turned to sobbing that wracked Minato's entire body. It then occurred to Akihiko that maybe they shouldn't be doing this on the roof, in such a public place. Yet suggesting to take this to one of their rooms might be a bit too forward. Then again, they could be at that stage by this point. Akihiko had no idea how this stuff was supposed to work.

It was a long while before Minato's sobs slowed to a stop. Once Minato had devolved into sniffing, he let go of Akihiko and took a step back. Akihiko let him. Minato took a moment to collect himself, wipe his eyes and his nose. Akihiko smiled, tried to be reassuring. "Feeling any better?"

"No." Minato shook his head, smiling with an odd sense of humour. "Feel like shit, actually. But. Thanks. For helping."

Akihiko relaxed a little. "Anytime."

Minato seemed done for the night, way too drained to do much else. Akihiko helped Minato down the stairs, back to their rooms. Minato lingered a moment and Akihiko couldn't stand it. He blurted out what had been on his mind for the past week.

"Share a bed with me tonight?"

Minato stared at Akihiko a moment and Akihiko was convinced he'd fucked up somehow. That'd been way too forward, especially after the whole hug thing. This was way too romantic a thing for them, two guys, to be doing. But then Minato smiled tiredly. "Sure." Then, under his breath, said, "Might as well break more rules while we're at it."

Akihiko at first took that to mean the rules Mitsuru had set up for the dorms. It was a co-ed dormitory and they had to have certain rules in place because of that, one of which was against anyone spending the night in anyone else's room. However, strangely, that didn't seem to be what Minato was talking about at all. Akihiko wasn't sure why he thought that or could even tell. Maybe Minato could sense that this was wrong as well? Yet it was exactly right for the both of them.

Either way, Minato came over and Akihiko let them both into his room. There wasn't much Akihiko could think of to say, as explaining any of his décor seemed way too much like awkward small talk that might ruin the moment. Maybe.

Minato went to Akihiko's bed and flopped down face first onto it. Akihiko smiled at that. Their leader needed to get some rest. The change of scenery could help. Akihiko went over and climbed on as well. Minato moved so Akihiko had some room, though not enough for there to be any sort of gap between them. Guess that came from having a single. Minato rolled over so he rested on his side, his back to Akihiko.

"Please." Minato's voice was barely a whisper and tinged with some emotion Akihiko couldn't quite identify. "Hold me again."

It was an odd request. One Akihiko was surely meant to turn down, just as he was never meant to ask Minato for something as intimate as this. They weren't really playing by that anymore, hadn't been from the start. The quietness of it made Akihiko's breath catch in his throat, a sign to accept at all costs. He scooted closer to Minato and wrapped his arms around Minato as best as he could, so Minato's back was pressed against Akihiko's chest. One of Akihiko's arms was going to be numb from this come morning. Minato breathed out slowly, relaxed completely against Akihiko.

"Thank you."

It was genuine, heartfelt, and as quiet as Minato had been before. Akihiko had to return the sentiment, though not as quiet. "No problem. Anything for you."

Akihiko meant to tack a 'leader' on at the end there, but dropped the notion. It sounded a bit too open for interpretation now and Akihiko was painfully aware of that, yet he meant it. For their leader -- no, for Minato -- Akihiko was willing to fight every odd that came their way. Another odd realisation.

Why was this happening? Akihiko had definitely helped it along, but why? A simple rebellious impulse?

Some deeper meaning was to be had from this, but it was too late to be thinking about this sort of thing right now and it probably didn't matter in the end. For Minato, Akihiko would chase down the stars and make them shine.

\--

Minato started making small pained noises after a couple of hours. Enough so that it roused Akihiko from his state of dozing. Not too long after that, Minato bolted upright, gasping and shaking. Akihiko, effectively jostled from his drowsiness, sat up and placed a hand on Minato's shoulder. "Woah, there. S'okay, you're safe."

Minato pushed his bangs out of his face and growled, more agitated than angry. "That damned dream again." He huffed out a breath, no longer shaking. His breathing was still unsteady. "That's not going to happen, leave me alone all ready."

For a moment, Akihiko hesitated. He had to ask, in the end. "What happened?"

"Same thing every time." Minato drooped suddenly, all that upset tension leaving him. He leaned against Akihiko's shoulder, more a dead weight than a live one. "Same thing as the past month."

Akihiko, moving on instinct again, rubbed Minato's shoulder with a hand. "A reoccurring nightmare, huh? That why you've been so tired?"

"Definitely helped." Minato's words became mumbled as he relaxed more into Akihiko's hold. "S'more of a combination of elements, though. Chemical reaction. Like water and hydrogen and.."

Minato trailed off into incoherent mumbling. Absolutely exhausted. It was kind of cute, if Akihiko was honest with himself here, to see Minato, their leader, in such a relaxed state. Akihiko carefully, slowly, leaned them both back onto their backs on the bed. Didn't want to end up sleeping sitting up and all. Akihiko just had them settled, then Minato shifted to rest his head on Akihiko's chest, still relaxed but suddenly less half-asleep.

Before Akihiko could ask, Minato gave an explanation. "I want to listen to your heartbeat."

Akihiko tried to come up with some kind of response to that, but couldn't think of anything better than a simple, "Okay."

Gradually, Minato fell back asleep. The Dark Hour came and went, then Akihiko also drifted off. They slept undisturbed for the rest of the night, as far as Akihiko could tell.

\--

The whole team had a distinct instinct to protect Minato. It wasn't just Akihiko. Minato was special with his ability to summon multiple Persona, their whole team understood this. Mitsuru and Akihiko had chosen Minato to be their leader for a reason. There was also an enticing, mysterious air about Minato that drew them all in, made them want to get close to their leader.

No matter how Akihiko tried, however, he couldn't fit this thing he'd developed with Minato into that mould. This wanting to talk with Minato, be around Minato, touch Minato didn't stem from any instinct to protect Minato. Hell, if anything, Akihiko would prefer to fight alongside Minato like a friend. And there was the main issue right there, staring Akihiko in the face.

Was it just friendship?

The question seemed absolutely ludicrous, considering the circumstances. First off, this was no time for such niceties as friendships, let alone romantic relationships. Training for the fights ahead of them should've been top priority for all of them. Second, the more important point, they were both male. While not exactly illegal until the point of marriage, it certainly wasn't going to go by smoothly for the rest of the team. Also, it was a ridiculous notion. There were plenty of girls after Minato. Akihiko could count five of them off the top of his head, though he would actively deny the fact that he'd even noticed something as ridiculous as this.

At the same time, Akihiko would understand if Minato wasn't interested in that sort of thing at the moment. Romance seemed more like a waste of time if anything. However, that brought up an interesting point in itself.

Akihiko had all ready pushed the boundaries of any kind of friendship, what with the hugging and sharing a bed with Minato. As dense as Akihiko could be, he knew that was not too normal a thing to do. Akihiko hadn't done any of that with Shinji since they were kids, after all.

Akihiko may have felt something more than friendship for their leader. That was the only conclusion to be made from this mess of evidence. And it was a huge problem because Minato was too good at just going with the flow that it made him impossible to predict on this sort of subject.

Minato was gone by the time Akihiko got up for his morning jog. Which meant Minato got around five hours of sleep at the most. Good enough, really. And by gone, Akihiko meant that Minato had left the dorms entirely. The early morning could help Minato sort out some of those things on his mind. Akihiko wasn't about to worry about it.

The day passed, mostly uneventful. Mitsuru mentioned that they should go to Tartarus again soon to keep exploring, there was a surprise quiz in math, and Akihiko didn't pay too much attention to those things that didn't matter. He kept an eye out for Minato around the school, but seemed to only ever see the back of Minato's head as Minato disappeared around a corner. It was a bit discouraging, as this made it rather hard to tell whether or not Minato was any more rested, but Akihiko had boxing club to attend and maybe he'd catch Minato on the way back to the dorms. It wasn't definite, but was a good enough goal to work towards to get Akihiko fired up enough to give his all during club.

Turned out, evening back at the dorms was the winner. Akihiko had settled into his spot on the couch facing the wall, flipping through a book he'd read before. Mitsuru sat on the couch facing away from the door, actually reading her book. Yukari and Junpei sat at the table with Aigis, half chatting and half arguing about trivial things, while Ken played with Koromaru quietly by the TV. Minato came inside, saw Akihiko, and brightened up. Minato did look more rested than before and Akihiko let his guard down because of that. Minato came over to stand right in front of Akihiko. Mitsuru glanced up from her book to address Minato. "Yamagishi has a previous engagement, so we can't go to Tartarus tonight."

Yukari glanced over, interested as well. Minato seemed annoyed by this interruption. "Okay." He turned back to Akihiko immediately. "Will you sleep with me again tonight, senpai?"

That certainly got the attention of the others in the room, as Yukari stood and made a half-strangled sound of disbelief. Junpei made the same sound, though stayed sitting. Mitsuru and Aigis looked up with a quiet shock and Ken glanced up, wide-eyed and concerned. Akihiko wasn't sure how to react now that they had an audience. It was a simple enough request and one Akihiko should have refused from the start. Even if that meant going against everything Akihiko wanted.

He nodded, but the sound of Mitsuru closing her book sufficiently distracted the rest of the room, Minato included, from comprehending Akihiko's acceptance of such a request. Mitsuru looked at Minato, her expression somewhat annoyed. "Arisato, what is this?"

"I had been wondering where you had gone last night."

Aigis spoke up, a gentle smile on her face. She seemed to be as unbothered about this as Minato looked. Minato faced Mitsuru, apologetic. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to sound so suggestive like that. I'd just like a sleeping companion in Akihiko-senpai again for the night."

That was a simple way to put it. Somehow, Akihiko was disheartened by that. Not that he could explain why. Mitsuru frowned, reluctant to step down so easily to such an innocuous explanation. "It's against the rules for anyone to spend the night in the same room with someone else."

"If I might cut in for a moment." Aigis stood and walked over, raised her hand as if politely asking a question. Mitsuru nodded. Aigis faced Minato. "Why is it that I am not a satisfactory companion, Minato-san?"

Minato smiled so tenderly, an expression Akihiko was actually familiar with and that was a little shocking. That genuineness was what made Minato so enticing, Akihiko decided. "There's nothing wrong with you, Aigis. I've simply discovered that I like being in Akihiko-senpai's company when it concerns sleeping."

"I see." Aigis nodded once, then turned to Mitsuru. "Minato-san has not been getting sufficient sleep lately, so I suggest that you allow this breaking of the rules, Mitsuru-senpai. That way, Minato-san will be better rested and we can explore Tartarus for longer periods of time."

This was just becoming a big thing and Akihiko was grateful to no longer be as on the spot as he was at the start of this. Mitsuru closed her eyes and crossed her arms under her chest. "With that line of logic, I suppose there's nothing else to be done." She opened her eyes and looked from Minato to Akihiko, then settled on Akihiko. "I'll allow it for now, but remember that--"

"Woah, senpai." Yukari hurried over, voice panicked. "You're allowing this? You're gonna let this slide?"

"Yeah, I'd like to object, too." Junpei stood up from the table as well, seemed more freaked out than even Yukari was. "I mean, my room's in the same hall. What if - what if something weird happens and they get loud or start making weird noises and oh god I couldn't handle that."

Minato visibly bristled at this, hands clenching into fists and eyes narrowing at Junpei. Honestly, Akihiko understood Junpei's panic way more than Akihiko wanted to. This was something Akihiko was currently struggling with and had to overcome, after all. Mitsuru glanced over Yukari and Junpei both, the most serious Akihiko had seen her in a long while. "Your concern is noted, but rest assured. If they abuse this trust I'm placing in them, they will be punished."

She sent a look at Akihiko, one he couldn't quite decipher. Was it a warning? A threat? About what? Yukari grimaced and plopped down on the couch opposite of the one Akihiko sat on. Aigis followed suit and sat beside Yukari, though Aigis seemed far more chipper about this. Junpei sped over to stand beside Minato. "Listen, man, you gotta rethink this. It's weird. And that kind of setting, well, it can just lead to a lot of weird things and man, I am not prepared to hear any of that while I'm trying to sleep."

Junpei gesticulated wildly as he spoke in a quick, frantic tone. Minato glared at Junpei, tensed and hostile. "We're not going to have sex."

Minato's words seemed to make everything stop. Mitsuru looked up again, her composure momentarily gone to show her surprise, while Yukari gasped and held a hand over her mouth. Ken went red to his ears and he tried to preoccupy himself with playing with Koromaru again. Akihiko's face became unbearably hot, so he was more in the same boat as Ken here. Aigis was the only one of them who didn't seem bothered by this. Being a robot must've been nice.

Junpei leapt back, his shock over exaggerated in all of his features. Minato had lost that normal cool composure they were all familiar with, though it wasn't in a rage. Minato lost all of that tension in his body and appeared to be completely drained of any energy, though that intensity remained. "Even if we were, it'd be none of your business. Ugh, whatever."

Minato grabbed Akihiko's hand and pulled Akihiko to his feet, then lead them to the stairs. Again, Akihiko was impressed by Minato's perseverance despite the tiredness. Junpei shouted something distinctly not words after them and Yukari called him an idiot for it, returning them to their normal friendly bickering. Minato trudged forward, determined but lacking the energy to give it the proper effect.

Akihiko had been completely passive through all of that and just let that happen. No matter the excuse, he probably should have spoken up at some point to back up Minato on that. Seeing Minato participate in something with so much emotion and not just going with the flow again was refreshing, though. Showed that Minato was at least willing to spend energy on something and had the energy to spend at all.

Speaking of which, Akihiko should probably ask about that. Minato looked ready to collapse.

On the other hand. No, Akihiko didn't want to give this much thought right now. He had to sort his priorities and Minato's well being was higher on that list. "That was. Wow."

Akihiko realised a little belatedly that he didn't even have the proper words to say much that was meaningful. Minato gave a disgusted noise in response. That was Akihiko's fault. He cleared his throat, got to the point.

"Did it help at all, last time? Sleeping with me, I mean."

They reached their rooms' floor and Minato stopped, hung his head. "It did. A lot, actually."

Minato's entire body drooped next, nearly brought them both to the floor. Akihiko quickly righted his balance and scooped Minato up into his arms. Minato's entire body went limp, but luckily was easy to hold in his arms. Akihiko made sure his grip was good and supportive, then headed for his room. "That's, uh. That's good, then. We can keep this up so you won't be so tired all the time anymore." Akihiko paused to wait for an answer or some sort of confirmation. Minato remained limp in Akihiko's arms. Not a good sign. Akihiko cringed. "Right?"

Minato exhaled slowly and turned to bury his face in Akihiko's chest. "I don't know. Sorry."

Akihiko hummed in thought as he opened the door to his room through some tricky manoeuvring. He carried Minato inside, closed the door behind them with a foot, then laid Minato down on the bed. Minato clung, so Akihiko climbed in as well and situated them so Minato could rest against Akihiko's chest. Akihiko came to his own conclusion and chuckled. "Guess we'll just have to stick together for a while, huh?"

Minato, all ready half-asleep, hummed. At least he was getting sleep. Akihiko rubbed Minato's shoulder idly and went back to thinking about this whole predicament. It was completely absurd. No questions about that. Yet something about the idea of spending his life with Minato was exhilarating. Something to look forward to other than wrestling bears and living out in the woods somewhere. It was utterly absurd, yet it made Akihiko smile to think about this potential future.

Even if it was the wrong thing to do, Akihiko didn't care anymore. He'd made up his mind to chase those stars.

\--

Minato slept easier with Akihiko, but had that nightmare almost every night. When Akihiko asked if Minato wanted to talk about it, Minato usually went back to sleep without a word.

Being better rested meant they could train more often at Tartarus again, at least. Minato wasn't as off-balance anymore and therefore didn't get knocked down easily, which definitely put Akihiko's worries at ease. The rest of the team were also more at ease during battle again. Even if Junpei would sometimes side-eye Minato and Akihiko, and Yukari would whisper to Mitsuru behind their backs. Minato didn't seem to notice or care, but it sometimes made Akihiko's hands clench up. He couldn't let himself get sloppy like that, the shadows were a real threat.

Akihiko needed to take a page from Minato's book and ignore it. They'd get over this new, fascinating information someday. Soon, hopefully. Akihiko was used to the scrutiny, but this seemed less than welcoming.

By this point, Minato spent more time in Akihiko's room than his own. Not that Akihiko was complaining. The company was nice, as it had been from the start. Akihiko had come to a decision about that. He wasn't sure what Minato's opinion on the matter was, besides the usual, 'it doesn't matter one way or the other' attitude Minato was known for. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that one of Minato's eyes was covered, maybe it had more to do with the perpetually flat expression, but either way Minato was a hard read.

"What's your favourite food?" Minato, at the moment, lay on Akihiko's bed with a textbook. Studying, Minato had said. Then proceeded to play twenty questions with Akihiko. "And don't say protein. Protein is not a food."

"Damn, that was my first choice, too." Akihiko grinned as he worked at his punching bag. Minato smiled as well, seemed to enjoy the joke more now that Akihiko was playing along. It was night, their usual chat time, and Akihiko was taking a break from his own studies. "Beef bowls are where it's at, especially from Hagakure. But I'm also partial to pancakes, even if sweets aren't usually my thing."

"Savoury over sweet, got it. With pancakes as the exception."

Minato laughed, Akihiko joined in. Shinji often chastised Akihiko about Akihiko's diet choices, similar to this. Protein wasn't a food. Akihiko couldn't eat beef bowls for every meal. No, for the last time, Shinji wasn't going to cook some pancakes for Akihiko. Shinji wasn't around anymore to say those things. Shinji was dead.

It was a halting sort of realisation, one that froze over Akihiko's chest and made him stop dead in the middle of his punch. Shinji was dead. Minato cleared his throat, snapped Akihiko out of it, though the clearing of the throat was something Akihiko learned to be Minato's technique for covering up any more laughter. "My favourite food's kimchi, though the strange takoyaki place in the shopping district is a second. Anyways, it's your turn."

Akihiko took a deep breath and pressed his fist against the punching bag. Shinji may have been dead now, but Akihiko couldn't let that stop him. He had to keep going. And Shinji would call Akihiko an idiot for all this dancing around Akihiko was doing. He nodded, pulled his fist away from the punching bag. "What are your feelings for me?"

Minato glanced up. Akihiko met Minato's gaze head on. There was no more time for playing around. Akihiko had to charge ahead, otherwise nothing would change. Once Minato saw the seriousness in Akihiko's eyes, Minato grimaced and looked away. "This Social Link shouldn't exist."

"What?"

Akihiko frowned, confused and apprehensive. Minato let out a lengthy breath. "According to them, this isn't right. I'm not supposed to link with you or." Minato paused, expression flashing to furious for a moment. Akihiko wanted to ask about this 'not supposed to' thing and if 'them' referred to the Velvet Room people Minato sometimes talked about. It would be better to let Minato explain it on his own. "Or any of this. They say it's wrong, but I can't bring myself to care about that." Minato looked up to meet Akihiko's eyes. "I'm rather fond of you, to tell the truth. I like you a lot."

Akihiko had a response all prepared, but that caught him off-guard. He hadn't thought about what to do if Minato liked him back. Here he was, charging ahead without any thought or plan. Shinji was right, sometimes Akihiko could be such a hapless idiot. Akihiko fumbled with his words a moment, flustered enough to be blushing. "Oh. Uh. Ah." He cleared his throat, did his best to regain his composure. "Well. I like you a lot, too. Like. A lot. Enough so that one day, maybe, I can see us getting married. If you'd want to."

This was not at all the way Akihiko expected this to go. Then again, Akihiko hadn't thought much at all about how this would go. Minato laughed, soft and genuine. "Marriage, huh? I hadn't thought you'd be the type."

Akihiko's face grew hotter. "Yeah, I-I didn't think so, either. I mean. My goal in life is to wrestle some bears." Akihiko huffed as Minato went back to laughing. Akihiko waited for Minato to at least be able to hear him without needing to shout. "But with you, I can see it. Because when I'm with you, I feel alive."

Minato's laughter petered out completely and he stared up at Akihiko with a strange mixture of emotions. Akihiko could see the surprise, but everything else seemed to be too much of a jumbled up mess. And, okay, yeah, that line had been really corny. Akihiko rubbed at the back of his neck, sheepish. Then Minato spoke up, his voice wavering. "That's it. That's exactly it."

It sounded simultaneously like Minato was agreeing with Akihiko and talking about something else entirely. There was some sort of bitterness in Minato's eyes, but a hopefulness in Minato's face. It was still really hard to see much else. Akihiko settled for sitting down on the bed with Minato. Minato pulled Akihiko down with him so they were laying side by side.

They lay like that for a long while. Minato went back to studying, Akihiko closed his eyes and let himself relax. That nagging was still there, of course. Akihiko had learned to ignore it completely by now. Things were turning out right in the face of those voices that cried foul.

Akihiko wasn't sure when he fell asleep, he just knew he heard a whispered apology before he succumbed.

\--

Everything was hopeless. No matter how all of them had fought and fought still even now as this pressure tried to keep them subdued, the world was ending. They had failed. Nyx would destroy the world and there was nothing they could do. Akihiko didn't want this, did his best to fight it and stand on his feet, but the pressure was too much.

"I have to go."

Then Minato stood, disregarding that weird force. In fact, Minato floated up into the air. He was just as battle-worn as the rest of them, but he was also the most rested Akihiko had seen in a long while. His gaze lingered on Akihiko a moment longer than anyone else. Then he faced away and towards the falling moon.

The intention in Minato's eyes had been clear. Akihiko shouted something wordless, but was otherwise frozen. There was no way. This couldn't be happening. Aigis seemed as lost as Akihiko while Junpei seemed as speechless. Yukari's voice rose, the second to cry out. "What the hell are you doing? No, you can't go."

"The enemy is much too powerful." Mitsuru spoke in a strong, pained tone, her eyes wide in shock. "Even for you."

"No." Ken struggled to his feet, a rather pointless endeavour as he was forced back down to his knees. "If anyone can do it, it's you. We have to believe in him."

"I cannot come with you to protect you up there." Aigis' voice seemed distraught, discarding that normal robotic tone she had. "What am I supposed to do now?"

Minato glanced back at them, his smile sad, but there was no regret in it anywhere. They all struggled against the force and Akihiko knew it was futile. Minato was right. It was killing him, but he was right. Akihiko shook his head, the word 'no' repeated over and over again in his mind. It was the only thing he could think right now. Minato floated closer to that thing trying to destroy the world and all Akihiko could think was 'no'. 'Don't go'. 'Don't leave me'. 'Not you, too'.

Then Minato was gone, inside that thing, fighting for their right to live. Akihiko finally got the words out and screamed. Mitsuru had to hold him back and they were all crying, even Aigis, as they sent their power to Minato because they all believed in Minato so much and no Minato couldn't die like this. Akihiko cried and fought and threatened that Nyx thing to leave Minato the hell alone, but even that was futile.

Minato had known this was going to happen. They couldn't run from this anymore. Akihiko couldn't keep running from Shinji or Miki's deaths. He couldn't run from Minato's, either.

\--

"Akihiko-senpai." Aigis stood from her seat suddenly, jolted Akihiko out of his own thoughts. "It's time we must be leaving."

She looked down at him with her piercing eyes. She was strong in the face of all of this. Akihiko admired that about her. He nodded and stood, stretched his back and neck. "I know. We got work to do, right?"

She gave a single nod, then left the hospital room. It was only a matter of time until this whole thing was pointless. Until the steady beeping came to a halt. He looked down at Minato, lying in the bed, sleeping. Not really sleeping, but it looked close enough. Akihiko chuckled, shook his head.

"Looks like your body's getting back all that rest you needed." He grimaced. A joke in bad taste, maybe. He'd never had the knack for that sort of thing like Junpei did. Akihiko's frown became tired. "We're still fighting for you. I hope you can see that. And," He clenched one hand into a fist. "I'm not giving up, either. You know me. When I get knocked down, I come back up stronger than I was before."

He grinned, though it was a bit forced, and went to the door. Before exiting, something made him pause. Things were 'right' again, but it was wrong. He wouldn't lose that easy. And Minato wouldn't let something so simple stop him, either.

Akihiko glanced from where Minato lay in the hospital bed up to the sky. "Goodnight, love."

He left the room and the door closed behind him.


End file.
